Design students win 11 semifinal awards in international Adobe competition

Out of thousands of entries from hundreds of institutions around the world, 11 submissions from Liberty University students reached the semifinal level in the annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA).

The ADAA is a global digital media competition for student creators. The competition gives students international exposure to top design firms and brands while providing them with mentorship and portfolio reviews from industry experts. Students submitted projects in several categories, including graphic design, animation, print communications, packaging, advertising photography, and social impact design. The finals take place next month, and winners will be announced in September.

Seven students from Liberty’s Department of Studio & Digital Arts (SADA) garnered semifinalist honors. Two earned multiple honors: Master of Fine Arts student Bri O’Neal received four, and Annie Shelmerdine, a senior in the Bachelor of Science in Studio & Digital Arts program, had two. Other semifinalists were: recent graduates Ben Nicholes, Garrett Shue, and Noelia Alvarado, rising senior Sydney Lane, and MFA student Audra Rygh.

“We’re very proud of our students and the excellence their work exhibits in the industry,” said Todd Smith, SADA chair.

Smith said the news comes after a “huge” year for the department, with students garnering numerous local, regional, national, and international awards from the American Advertising Federation and Photographer’s Forum. Liberty was also recognized as a top 10 school for game design, a program offered online in conjunction with the School of Business.

“News that our students were chosen as semifinalists in the ADAA is the perfect way to kick off the upcoming academic year,” Smith said. “The competition is open to students in the U.S. and internationally, so to have this many students and the number of projects selected as semifinalists is pretty awesome. Our goal from the beginning has been to equip students to bring glory to God and reflect his creativity in all aspects of the field of art and design.”

Adobe products have been an important tool in the education of Liberty students, and partnerships with the company have helped to elevate that experience.

Last fall, Liberty was one of just five institutions of higher education to be hand-picked by Adobe to partner with the company in its efforts to learn how to better tailor its products for the classroom. Liberty was selected for a number of reasons, including its centrally managed technology, its cutting-edge approach to education, its quick adaptation in terms of growth and innovation, and the university’s mix of online and residential students.

Through Liberty’s partnership with Adobe, the university is able to offer all residential students and students in select online courses access to Adobe’s large suite of products, which includes software for graphic design, desktop and website publishing, and photo and video editing, as well as a host of web apps. Across multiple disciplines, students are learning how to use these tools to create professional presentations, network with classmates and professors, and build their résumés. Many faculty members have incorporated Adobe products into their curriculum. These disciplines include English, social work, history, business, education, cinematic arts, studio and digital arts, and more.

• Read more about how technology partnerships are expanding opportunities for Liberty students.